Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him.

Aye Friends, it’s Saturday morning; day two of the Caribana weekend, and the ole fella has already missed his Cousin Harold’s funeral and the Pan Alive competition. Ah Lord eh! But Uncle John, just imagine yuh nephew sitting down home while so much sweet pan music licking in Lamport Stadium nuh. Is enough to drive a body mad yes! But what to do eh? Just grin and bear it. For if the Good Lord decrees that’s the way it’s going to be, then I have to band mih belly and take it like a man, and even go so far as to say, thank you Lord, though the pan competition is the one event of Caribana that still thrills me. And the way things are going the Caribana Parade later today also seems to be a no go affair, though missing that doesn’t bother me as much as missing the sweet pan. However people, there’s still time for the Lord to work a miracle, so I’m not giving up all hope, for He’s been known to do greater things in lesser time. And all God’s people said, ‘Spoken like a man of true faith!’ (smile) Anyhow, let’s get to the task at hand; Cousin Sol and his seven deadly sins. We’ve already covered four of them, namely; ‘A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, and a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. Wow! Just looking at them Friends can stir up plenty emotions, for they are all still very prevalent today, including this fifth one; ‘feet that be swift in running to mischief.’ Yes mih people, we talking about feet that are quick to run around and spread mischief, spread evil. And we all know people like that; those who just can’t wait to jump from one situation to another, either carrying bad news, gossip, etc, or to do some negative act that will stir up further negative emotions and situations. But Friends, one fine day those busybodies will pay for their evil acts and intentions, just like all other evil doers. Cousin Sol said it plain and clear: ‘He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief (trouble, evil), it shall come unto him.’ (Prov.11:27) And the sad part is that some of them are so naive and stupid that they actually consider themselves doing others a favour, or a valuable service by running around and stirring up trouble. Hn! But my people that can never be so, for our God does not delight in or reward evil. Hear what Isaiah says of those mischief-makers: ‘Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgement (justice) in their goings (tracks): they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.’ (Is.59:7-8) And that’s the Lord’s truth my Friends! Cousin Sol also sounded an ominous warning earlier on, re walking with that type. ‘My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not…walk not in the way with them; refrain (keep) thy foot from their path. For their feet, run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.’ (Prov.1:10,15-16) Nothing could be plainer and more truthful than that my brethren, so why do we still run with sinners who embrace evil eh? Hear another warning from Cousin Sol: ‘It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.’ (Prov.10:23) And that’s no lie mih people! A lot of us nowadays propagate evil and consider it fun, but sadly it really is a fool’s wisdom, and all who participate shall surely pay. Meanwhile, Bruh David, in Psalm 28, a prayer for God’s help, pleads with the Lord: ‘Draw (drag) me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief (evil) is in their hearts.’ (Ps.28:3) Now that’s the proper way to tackle the situation Friends; plead for help and mercy to be kept away from the dangerous iniquity workers and not be swept up in their comeuppance. Oh mih breddren, if the ancients could only see the heightened state of evil and wickedness that mankind has developed and attained…hn! They’d surely hold their heads and bawl. Unfortunately in this enlightened age and time, Lucifer and his minions have raised the power of evil to such astronomical heights, and with such bench strength too, that good has been sadly dwarfed. And when Bruh Paul talked about none being righteous, and quoted scripture (Rom.3:9-20) to prove his contention, he was definitely talking about our current world. One of those quotes was from Cousin Sol’s writings (Prov.1:16) ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood.’ (Rom. 3:15) Oh Friends, I don’t know where it’s all going to end, but let’s hope that good eventually wins out and overcomes evil, for if evil keeps on winning, our world will ultimately be destroyed. And it won’t need any help from God either, for its overwhelming evil and wickedness will simply cause it to implode on itself. Consequently Friends, I can only plead that those of us who are for good, heed Peter’s advice. ‘For he that will LOVE life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile (deceit). Let him eschew (turn away from) evil, and do good; let him seek peace and ensue (pursue) it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.’ (1 Pet.3:10-12) That needs no further explanation mih people. So, until tomorrow, God willing, Much, Much LOVE!…good builds…but evil destroys…

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him.

Oh Friends, it’s Friday; time for fun, frolic and fellowship! It’s also Caribana weekend in T.O. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem as if the ole fella’s going to have much, if any fun and frolic, just some fellowship, because my knees are not in the best shape, and I don’t really need to make them any worse before I get some medical insight into the problem, and hopefully some restorative help. In any case, the Caribana scene doesn’t hold that much fascination for me anymore because I think the quality has dropped, and even if my knees were good, I doubt I’d be doing much partying anyway. But it would be nice to have the choice. The Good Lord must have a good reason for whatever He’s allowing to come upon me, but since He hasn’t let me in on it, I’ll just have to grin and bear it, faithfully claiming that this too shall pass, and anytime one door closes, another opens. (smile) But who knows God’s plans eh? He might just decide to make me whole, so that I can get in some fun and frolic too. As the old people would say, ‘while there’s life, there’s hope.’ So I’m not giving up just yet Friends. (smile) However, let’s turn to our very interesting subject; the seven deadly sins of Cousin Sol, three of which we’ve already covered; ‘a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. It’s now time to consider; ‘A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations.’ That’s a heart that devises wicked plans. Oh Friends, that’s the grand daddy of them all, for all sin basically comes out of an evil, wicked heart. And there’s so much written about the wicked and wickedness in the Good Book that we could talk about from now till next never. Some might even wonder why it’s called the Good Book then? My people that’s because it’s written to show the good way, and you can’t show the good way without commenting on the bad. It’s just that since Adam was a boy, mankind has been revelling in evil rather than good, so the paragon of all books is filled with the many misdeeds of men to remind us of what not to do and the various negatives that occur when we do evil. That means we can only get in a few of those models of wicked hearts due to our limited time and space. But before we do that, let’s get some idea of what believers are battling against when we talk about wickedness. Here’s how Bruh Paul put it. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world (age), against spiritual (spiritual hosts of) wickedness in high places.’ (Eph.6:12) That, my Friends, is the definitive statement on wickedness. It includes stuff like divination, an illegitimate means of determining God’s will; necromancy, efforts to communicate with and interrogate the dead; magic, using formulas and incantations; sorcery, witchcraft and astrology. Check Deut.18:10-12 for the Lord’s proclamation against those occult dealings. And that’s why we need to ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles (sly schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph.6:11) Now we can look at some wicked dealings. We’ll begin with the destruction of the world by the flood. Why did God destroy the world and all His wonderful creations? ‘And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination (thought or intent) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (all the day). And it repented the Lord (the Lord was sorry) that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.’ (Gen.6:5-7) Oh mih breddren, what a hurtful heartache that must have been for the Lord eh! But He never did quite destroy everything; Noah found grace in His sight and went on to replenish the earth after the flood. However we went right back to our original wicked selves, immersed both our flesh and spirit in Lucifer’s evil ways. God’s chosen people, Israel, who should have known better, led the way despite much captivity and punishment brought on them by the Lord. Many a time they turned from the God of their fathers and worshipped idols and false gods of heathen nations. We’ll mention one particular time, under the rule of Ahab and his wife Jezebel. The Good Book says: ‘But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up (incited). And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the Lord cast out before the children of Israel.’ (1 Kin.21:25-26) Luckily Ahab eventually saw the light and the Lord did not destroy him personally, but brought trials and tribulations to his offspring. Now Friends, I want to look at two situations where wickedness could have been perpetrated but because of two faithful men, it never happened. I’m talking about Bruh Joseph when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him, but he refused her advances, saying: ‘There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ (Gen.39:9) And we all know the outcome of the story; she lied to her husband and Bruh Joseph was innocently imprisoned. Nothing much has changed since then, except it’s more common place now, entrenching the saying that ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. And the next story is that of Saul and Bruh David, whom Saul spent a fair amount of time trying to kill because of wicked imaginations in his heart. This is when Bruh David had Saul at his mercy outside the cave, but he refused to kill him though his followers wanted him to. And his basic reason for not doing it? ‘I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ (1 Sam.24:10) But the strange thing is that Bruh David was also the Lord’s anointed, but that did not stop Saul from chasing him like a wild animal. Furthermore Bruh David informed Saul: ‘As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee…The Lord therefore be judge between me and thee, and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.’ (1 Sam.24:13,15) Oh Friends, that’s the difference between a true believer and a not so true one; though you’re caught between a rock and a hard place you still opt to do the right thing. That’s because you revere your God so much, you trust and believe that He will always bring you safely out of harms way when He’s good and ready. The wicked can’t make that connection though with Lucifer or the false gods and idols that they follow. And we’ll end with some words on the subject from Jesus: A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, but when he saw that Jesus didn’t wash before dinner he was amazed. Jesus read his thoughts and said to him: ‘Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening (grasping or robbery) and wickedness.’ (Luke 11:39) Yes my brethren, so it still is with many of us today; we put on the clean and right persona on the outside, but inside, in our hearts, where it really counts, we’re as wicked as all hell. Please my people, this should not be so, and like Ahab, we can change our wicked ways if we seriously repent and surrender our lives to God. Let’s all look at the deepest parts of our hearts and see what’s there, and if there happens to be any wicked imaginings, please, let’s try and root them out immediately by turning to God, asking Him to forgive us, then trying to live with a right heart. Otherwise: ‘Upon the wicked he shall rain snares (burning coals), fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest (a burning wind): this shall be the portion of their cup (their portion to partake of)’ (Ps.11:6) Your choice my people. Till tomorrow then, God willing; Much LOVE!…he who doesn’t hear…shall surely feel…

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate; yea; seven are an abomination unto him.

And all God’s people joyfully shouted: ‘Oh thank you Lord for allowing us to witness another beautiful sunrise and blessing us with your incredible mercy, which is new, refreshing and exciting every morning! We praise your glorious and Holy Name, and will certainly try to walk worthily of you this day. On the strength of the precious blood of the Sacrificial Lamb, your Son Jesus, spilled for us, we offer this prayer. Amen!’ Yes Friends, we’ve been blessed to see another bountiful day, so let’s go out and live it for the Lord as best we can. And today we’ll continue looking at the third of those seven deadly sins as Cousin Sol perceived them. And since it’s of the utmost importance to remember them, every day we’ll recount those that we’ve done so far. The first was ‘a proud look,’ then ‘a lying tongue,’ and today it’s ‘hands that shed innocent blood.’ Oh my brethren, the shedding of innocent blood has been one of man’s many downfalls from the beginning of time, when Cain slew his brother Abel through jealousy. The Lord didn’t like it then, and He still doesn’t take kindly to it now, many thousands of years later. And when He asked Cain for his brother, Cain was boldfaced enough to ask the Lord: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ (Gen.4:9) And sadly Friends, many of us today are just as boldfaced to shed innocent blood, with no undue qualms, because we don’t consider ourselves our brother’s keeper either. But the truth is that we are, if we consider ourselves followers of Christ, since we are all brothers and sisters, all one in Christ. For Cain’s blatant crime and contempt, the Lord laid a curse on him. ‘When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.’ (Gen.4:12) And since Cain was a farmer that curse just spoiled his whole livelihood. But would you believe Cain was arrogant enough to complain? ‘And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment (iniquity) is greater than I can bear.’ (Gen.4:13) Then he whimpered that everyone who saw him would desire to slay him. But oh my people, the awesome Deity we worship is so magnanimous and merciful that he heard Cain’s plea: ‘And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.’ (Gen.4:15) But sadly Friends, from then onwards, right down through the ages, the floodgates of man’s innocent blood have been opened by the hands of his brother man. What a crying shame! Untold wars, robbery, jealousy, greed, power hunger, even a sadistic blood lust have caused man’s blood to flow innocently. And most unfortunately, all the above are still doing so today, and possibly more blatantly than before. Man has very conveniently forgotten the laws of God, that one of the Ten Commandments is ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ (Ex.20:13) And I say that because we still do it with such impunity and gall. Oh my people there is no shortage in the Good Book of God’s admonitions and warnings re shedding man’s blood innocently. Let’s look at a few. Way back when, before the Lord destroyed the earth with the flood, for its abominable sinfulness, He informed Noah: ‘Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.’ (Gen.9:6) But did we listen? No! Once the earth was repopulated, we continued the same way. And in Ex.21:12, the Lord unequivocally proclaims: ‘He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.’ What don’t we understand about violence and bloodshed eh Friends, when it pertains to our God and punishment for it? And I like how the Lord phrases this law concerning bloodshed in Numbers 35. ‘So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. Defile not the land which ye shall in habit, wherein I dwell: For I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.’(Num.35:33-34) What’s there not to understand eh mih people? It’s all plain and straightforward, especially this deathly serious promise made by Habakkuk. ‘Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood (bloodshed), and stablisheth a city by iniquity.’ (Hab.2:12) But who’s listening, who’s paying attention in a wicked, violent, godless world? Not too many of us Friends. It also seems that we’ve forgotten the Lord’s statement when Isaiah called Judah to repentance. ‘And when ye spread forth your hands (pray), I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.’ (Is.1:15) Oh my people, our behaviour is utterly ridiculous in light of what the Good Book says. And even if we consider the Old Testament outdated, then listen to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane when one of His disciples drew his sword and cut of the ear of the high priest’s servant. Surely, He’s not outdated too. ‘Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.’ (Mat.26:52) Oh Friends, our God has told us on numerous occasions, and in no uncertain terms, that when we disobey His commandments we will pay, and pay dearly too. What is it going to take for us to sit up and pay strict attention; total destruction? The problem there my people, is that then it will be too late. And since we began with Genesis, it’s rather appropriate to end with Revelation: ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.’ (Rev.13:10) That’s all I have to say today Friends, but I pray that the Lord will work expeditiously in all our hearts to remove the blood lust that seems to exist there. Till tomorrow then, God willing of course, stay safe and tread the straight and narrow path. Much LOVE!…the Good Book does not lie…he who lives by the sword…will surely die by the sword…

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him.Ah Friends, it’s another beautiful day on God’s great earth! Praise the Lord! So just enjoy it; live it as though it’s your last, for it may very well be. Tomorrow you might wake up and see your name and picture in the Obits. (smile) That means you shouldn’t waste this one, not even one iota of it. Just get out there and be the best you can be; fulfill your Christian faith and mission with zeal and unconditional LOVE, so that if the Lord happens to call you home later today, He will at least be pleased with your last earthly efforts and greet you with a warm bear hug, while saying, ‘Welcome, thou good and faithful servant.’ In truth though Friends, that’s the way we ought to live every day, so anytime He calls us we’ll be ready. But it certainly won’t work that way if we insist on living sinful lives, perpetrating any number of those seven deadly sins that Cousin Sol talks of. Yesterday we talked about the first one; ‘a proud look.’ Today we’ll look at the second; ‘a lying tongue.’ Unfortunately my people, lying has become somewhat endemic in our society, almost like a societal pastime. In this supposed age of information, so much information is floating around that one can hardly tell the truth from the lies. Our politicians and leaders seldom speak the truth, as do the wealthy and greedy business people. The salespeople who operate on commissions have no incentive to tell the truth because if they don’t sell they don’t eat, so they will tell you anything to make a sale. And don’t even mention the news media, for they now publish more untrue stuff than ever before, since in their mad rush to break news first they pick up and cull their information from any source, worthwhile or not. Once upon a time what you read in the papers or heard on the news was as close to gospel as you could get because they used tried and trusted sources and also verified stuff before making it public. Hn! But that’s no longer true. You have to take everything you hear or read now with a couple grains of salt since it’s often not verified and also trivialized. And we won’t forget the tabloids or the celebrity gossip mongers who even make up sensational stuff to sell their products. Interpersonal relationships are also fraught with untruths because the trustworthiness of our entire society has plummeted to rock bottom, and the honour we once had, re speaking the truth, has sadly disappeared. Lies, dreadful ones too, permeate every level, every strata of our society. It’s even in the church too, where false preachers preach false gospel and doctrine, only interested in their self-aggrandizement rather than teaching the true Word of God. But as two famous trite but true sayings expound: ‘what goes around, comes around, and whatever is done in darkness always comes to light.’ So too do our lies eventually come back to haunt us. Now let’s see what the Good Book says about lying and/or a lying tongue. Oh Friends, there is so much scripture that deals with the tongue and lies that I had to whittle them down to a handful. Our mouths play such a large part in the workings of our society, especially our faith, that James saw it fit to warn us. ‘If any man among you seem to be (thinks he is) religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.’ (James 1:26) But the problem though my Friends is that our little tongue is so powerful. James likens it to the small rudder that turns around big ships. ‘Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter (forest) a little fire kindleth (sets on fire). And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell…But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.’ (James 3:5-6, 8) Yes my people, that’s our tongue, and in today’s society where we talk a whole lot more than is necessary, you can imagine how many problems that little tongue causes, especially if it’s speaking lies, because unlike truth, lies have a way of rapidly multiplying and replicating themselves, like an amoeba, as they move from one source to the next. Consequently, we have to be very careful of what we say and also to whom. But the first thing is to ensure that we take Bruh David’s advice: ‘Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile (deceit).’ (Ps.34:13) That’s very important mih breddren because the Lord says: ‘He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry (continue, be established) in my sight.’ (Ps.101:7) No wonder in Psalm 120, a haunting prayer for deliverance from lying lips, the psalmist woefully cries out: ‘Deliver my soul, O Lord from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.’ (Ps.120:2) But the next two verses are really interesting. ‘What shall be given unto thee? Or what shall be done unto thee, thou false (deceitful) tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty (warrior) with coals of juniper (the broom tree).’ (Ps.120:3-4) Now that might just be a very good solution to the lying lips and tongues that are currently running amok in our world. Now hear some more words of wisdom from Cousin Sol. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that LOVE it shall eat the fruit thereof.’ (Prov.18:21) Oh Friends that’s the living truth! We all know someone, might even be us, who has the paid the price for an unruly tongue, because it does come back to haunt you. All the gossip mongers and liars get their comeuppance eventually. Again, the wisdom of Sol shines through when he declares: ‘Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.’ (Prov.21:23) That’s also true mih people! The quiet beings don’t have as many trials and tribulations as the talkative ones, because their excessive mouthing just causes them more problems than are really necessary. Jeremiah had this to say on the subject. ‘And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.9:3) And for once Bruh Paul, when talking about the new life in Christ, said it simply: ‘Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.’ (Col.3:9-10) Oh Friends, we’d better learn to do that, or else…and this is the clincher; re the New Jerusalem, the Good Book says, unequivocally: ‘And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.’ (Rev.21:27) Yes my people, that’s the fate of abominable liars, so consider yourself told, and live your lives accordingly. Much LOVE!…liar, liar…pants on fire…

Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him.

Oh my beautiful Friends in Christ, please join me in a quick prayer of thanks to Almighty God, for between Him, some man made medication and some rest, the aching knees that were traumatizing me yesterday aren’t nearly as bad today. ‘Oh Lord, what else can I say but thanks! And a very big and hugely grateful thanks too! You saw how I was stumbling along yesterday and heard my mournful cry for help and mercy. Then, in your LOVING kindness, You either led me by your Spirit to do what I did, or You just spiritually eased my pain. But however it was accomplished, Oh Lord, I know that You were behind it all, and I sincerely thank You from the depths of my very soul. I know that You use the weaknesses of your followers to show your power and strength, and in this particular instance I can personally testify to your goodness towards me, and sincerely hope that all those who read these words will believe me and look to You for help and relief in whatever ails them, for You Lord are a wonderful help-meet to those who believe and trust in You. I praise your Holy Name and give You much thanks. We do it all through your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen!’ Wow mih people! When the Spirit moves you, it really moves you yes! I never intended to offer such a long prayer, but that’s where I was led and guided. And on that note of pain, here’s a proverb that we’ll all agree with. ‘An hour of pain is as long as a day of pleasure.’ And that’s a fact Friends! For even the shortest bout of pain seems to have a greater impact on our psyches than long stretches of pleasure. Why is that eh? I guess that’s because pain hurts and often has us writhing in agony, thus putting a greater strain on our natural resilience. It also leaves a more indelible mark on our memories, while pleasure seems so fleeting, so joyful and carefree, that we don’t remember it as much after its passed. Anyway, let’s move on to our Bit, a rather interesting piece of scripture from Cousin Sol: ‘These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him (his soul).’ Ah Friends, who would know better than Cousin Sol eh? What with his in depth research and his personal experience and dalliance with wine women and song (smile) he surely is qualified to speak on sins. So let’s take a look at those seven sins that he identifies as deadly ones, listed in Prov.6:17-19. And the first is, ‘A proud look.’ Yes Friends, that haughty, better than you air that we cultivate and give off, whether intentionally or not, doesn’t sit well with our God at all. And we’ve been saying forever that pride is possibly the sin our Lord dislikes the most because it so effectively cuts and blocks Him out of our lives, since we believe and try to prove that we can do it all ourselves, with no need for Him. But people, we all know that’s a blatant lie, promoted by Lucifer, for each and every object in this world, created by the Lord God Jehovah, desperately needs Him to function properly, wherever He’s placed them. From a single grain of sand on the sea shore, through a single blade of grass in the fields to the highest mountain, the widest ocean right up to the strongest man, all need the Lord’s help to do what He made them to do. And that’s especially true of man, the strongest ones to boot, for they certainly cannot accomplish their great deeds without His help. Please remember that my people and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, for that’s a fool’s wisdom. How can we not need the One who made, guides, feeds and protects us eh? Hn! However, if you don’t believe Cousin Sol or me, then hopefully you’ll believe Bruh David as he talks about a commitment to holy living. ‘Whoso privily (secretly) slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off (destroy): him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer (endure).’ (Ps.101:5) There it is Friends, in black and white and plain English, so we can’t say we didn’t know or don’t understand. And mih people, just on the off chance that you still don’t believe then listen to these scriptures, starting with Isaiah. ‘Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower…Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast (them) down to the earth with the hand. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden (trampled) under feet.’ (Is.28:1-3) Now hear Jeremiah. ‘Thy terribleness (fierceness) hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the cleft of the rocks, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.’ (Jer.49:16) Oh Friends, those are the Lord’s words and they are self-explanatory. All I can add is that there are still too many of us supposed believers still too hung up on a proud, prideful way of life. And sadly, the very fact that we are believers makes some of us feel that we’re better than non-believers. And very often that’s the furthest thing from the truth, for many non-believers live better Christian-like lives than many Christians. Why? Because our biggest failing as a group is the unchristian way too many of us live our everyday lives. Remember, Christianity is an action movement, and its members need to make action statements with their lives, not saying one thing then living another. That’s why a lot of unbelievers take us for clowns, jokers and hypocrites. Oh Friends, unfortunately that poor attitude of ours towards others is primarily based on that small but powerful word ‘PRIDE.’ So please let’s get it out of our vocabularies, hearts, minds, souls and lives, otherwise it will eventually lead us to destruction. More on the seven deadly sins tomorrow, God willing of course. Till then, Much LOVE!…pride goes before a fall…and he who does not hear…will surely feel…

Psalm 123:1 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Oh me oh my, it’s Monday Friends! Chuh! That day comes around ever so quickly, like it takes pleasure in taunting us: ‘Betty goatee! Yuh got to go back to work today though!’ Remember those childhood taunts of yore? Unfortunately though my people, that’s the way our society is organized; if you don’t work, you don’t eat. Bruh Paul even said that to the Thessalonians a long time ago. ‘For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.’ (2 Thes.3:10) And to that, all God’s people said a loud, hearty, ‘Amen!’ But Friends, like most things in this crazy world of ours, there are ways to mitigate the ill effects of beginning another arduous week of work. And the first is old faithful; putting on your full coat of spiritual armour, so that you can be protected against the evil wiles of the enemy, for venturing into enemy territory without it is like a lamb walking into a lion’s den; all over bar the shouting. But with your helmet of salvation, your breastplate of righteousness, your belt of truth, shoes of peace, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, the Good Book, you can face any foe with supreme confidence. And the second is almost like unto the first; do like the psalmist says: ‘Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.’ Yes Friends, that’s where we always should seek help, and FIRST too, not last. And I’m doing that right now mih breddren; crying out for some help, for some mercy to withstand these annoying, intermittent, come upon you suddenly with no warning pains that are wracking my old body. And the sad part is that medical science which can transplant hearts and lungs, and grow human embryos out of the womb, can’t give me a positive, reassuring answer to simple joint and muscle pains. Wow! So far I’ve had two so called specialists, supposed experts in their fields look at x-rays, ultra-sounds and M.R.Is’ of my knees and give me two completely different answers to the problem. Steups! Ah mih people, it not easy nuh. But the important thing is not to give up, not to fall prey to self-pity, which is so easy to do, but to keep on keeping on however you can, for as the Lord told Bruh Paul when he complained about his aches and pains: ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength (power) is made perfect in weakness.’ (2 Cor.12:9) Yes Friends, though the aches and pains are no fun, yet with the Lord’s grace and mercy we’re able to withstand the pressure and go on to glorify Him in our weakness. Praise the Lord! In Psalm 121, which deals with God’s sustaining power, the psalmist proudly proclaims: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills (mountains) from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.’ (Ps.121:1-2) And that’s gospel mih people! Likewise in Psalm 141, a prayer for help in trouble, Bruh David expounds with heartfelt faith: ‘But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins (traps) of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape (while I escape safely).’ (Ps.141:8-10) Ah my people, it’s of the utmost importance that believers remember where there help comes from, where their bread is buttered, otherwise our faith is wasted. It’s Almighty God who created the universe and who guides, protects and feeds us from His throne in the heavens. In Psalm 11, titled, ‘In the Lord put I my trust,’ Bruh David says: ‘The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try (test) the children of men. The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth.’ (Ps.11:4-5) Now hear Psalm 115 which says to trust in God, not idols. ‘But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.’ (Ps.115:3-4) Yes Friends, the idols of the wicked are made by men and often look like men, but because they are inanimate, they can’t even do the little that man can. And as the psalmist continues; ‘They that make them are like unto them; so is everyone that trusteth in them. O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.’ (Ps.115:8-9) That my Friends is exactly what we need to learn and remember to do; trust in the Lord at all times and under all circumstances. And the psalmist explains why. ‘Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden (maid) unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait (look) upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.’ (Ps.123:2) Oh mih people, we might not receive that mercy as quickly or as plentifully as we desire, but rest assured that it will come, and in enough quantity to quell our fears and pains. We just have to learn to wait on the Lord. In His time, He will make everything right. He’s never once yet been late to solve a problem, provided that’s His intention. I know it’s easier said than done, especially in our fast paced, now for now society, but it’s in those rough times that the Lord tries our faith, to see if we really mean and believe what we say, and also builds our character, bringing it ever closer in line with that of our Lord and Saviour Jesus, which is His eventual goal. So please hang in there Friends, for it’s often darkest just before the dawn. Your number will eventually play, if you keep your eyes steadfast on the Lord. Much LOVE!…oh, when times get tough…the tough get going…by looking to the heavens…by looking to the Lord…

Isaiah 45:5 I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.

Oh Friends, the ways of our God are certainly different to ours; higher, much more complex, intricate and far-reaching than those of His mortal children. And that’s the way it ought to be, for if we were all at the same level, then there’d be no real justification to worship and adore Him. That difference in mental prowess is particularly shown in our Bit today. The message in Isaiah 45 deals with Cyrus, king of Persia. It begins: ‘Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden (held), to subdue nations before him…I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight…And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.’ (Is.45:1-3) Yes Friends, our God called Cyrus by name and promised to lead him to great victories in battle and to secret treasures all for one specific reason; to conquer Babylon and set His chosen people Israel free from captivity so that they could go back to the Promised Land, rebuild Jerusalem and the nation of Israel as he had promised. ‘Remember these, O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant: I have formed thee; thou art my servant: O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee….That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.’ (Is.44:21-22, 28) Ah mih breddren, what the Lord does for His people eh! But He doesn’t do it in simple, easily understood ways, for He likes high stakes, rich drama. First off, His chosen people, Israel are getting too big for their breeches; rebellious, ungodly, proud and arrogant, so He allows Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem and take them away captive to Babylon. After about 70 years in captivity, the Lord figures that Israel has learned its lesson re idolatry, so He raises up Cyrus, the Persian king as His anointed, the saviour of His people. Now Friends, re the scholars, that’s the only place in the Scriptures where a Gentile is so designated. He then causes Cyrus to overthrow Babylon and eventually allows Israel to go back and rebuild Jerusalem, through people like Ezra and Nehemiah. Why do you think those guys had such an easy time and were so favoured by Cyrus? ‘And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.’ (Neh.2:8) Yes people, only because the good hand of the Lord was upon them. Oh Friends, Cyrus was a heathen king, originally worshipping false gods, and might have felt that his greatness was either a combination of his skill and the munificence of his idol gods, but little did he know that it was the One True God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had pegged him long before to accomplish His purpose. According to the scholars’ this prophecy of Isaiah, re Cyrus, was foretold about 140 years before it actually came to pass. Wow! Isn’t our God magnificent! It’s the same way He used Nebuchadnezzar, another heathen king, to accomplish His purpose, to glorify His Holy Name. When Neb thought that all his success was directly attributable to his own prowess, he soon found out differently, and after going insane, ended up praising the Most High God Jehovah and admitting that he was the One True God. And I like how the Lord says of Cyrus: ‘For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.’ (Is.45:4) That means the Lord purposely named Cyrus long in advance to reassure His chosen people, to let them know that their God was still in control of all human events and occurrences. In support of those statements the Lord then proudly proclaims: ‘I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me.’ Now Friends, the crux of the whole matter is whether we believe it or not! Oh my people, that message was originally meant for the Jewish people of long ago, but it still holds true today, except in one respect; Jesus and not Cyrus was our Saviour. The Lord God Jehovah is still on the throne; still the ONLY God; the First and the Last, Alpha and Omega, and still in control of all affairs both in heaven and on earth. And for those who don’t believe that, then things will surely be sad with them. Friends, from the very beginning of time, from Genesis to Revelation, the Lord has been saying that He’s the One and Only True God, and the claims of any others are all false. He’s also proven it over and over through His Word, His promises and His actions. Yet many of us still refuse to believe? Why eh? I really don’t know nuh. I just know that it’s foolish and unwise to believe otherwise. (smile) All through the Good Book we see promises faithfully kept, prophecies fulfilled, and in our own lives miracles have occurred, certainly not through our own will or strength. So how does it happen, if not through some great, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent Deity? And the Lord spelled it out to all and sundry through His prophet Isaiah. ‘That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west (to its setting), that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil (calamity): I the Lord do all these things.’ (Is.45:6-7) Oh Friends, the Lord God of Hosts does it all; from light to darkness, peace to war, and everything in between! Note though that the evil spoken of here is mere physical stuff, like disasters and calamities, not any kind of moral sin, for the Lord is too just and righteous to engage in that sort of thing. The long and short of the story though people is how we handle the Lord’s Word; whether we take it to heart or throw it away? If we believe it and operate under its constraints and responsibilities, obediently serving and worshipping the Lord, then glory, salvation and eternal life will be our eventual reward. However, if we don’t, then after our physical death, our spirits will roam to and fro the ends of the earth in darkness and eternal damnation like Lucifer. And the sad part of it Friends is that Lucifer knows God’s greatness better than all of us since he was once the Lord’s right hand man. But through his foolish lust for power he sought to overthrow the Lord, hence his punishment of eternal damnation. Oh my people, please don’t let Lucifer fool us into joining his evil forces, he doesn’t really care about us, and has nothing but eternal death and damnation to offer. He’s just looking for company so he can thumb his nose at the Lord and boast of numerous followers. Please stick with the wise choice; the Lord God Jehovah, His Son Jesus Christ and their Holy Sprit, the ones who have the true power over the heavens and the earth, plus consistently dole out to their followers, grace, mercy, kindness, forgiveness and unconditional LOVE, then at the end offer salvation and eternal life. Wow! What an unbeatable combination! Please accept it my people. Till we talk again, the Lord willing, Much LOVE!…In the beginning…the Lord created the heaven and the earth…and all therein…